Scots Guards 5th Ski battalion 1940, 2nd battalion 1940/43

[millymcb]

Hi Andrew
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[Malcolm33]

The Polish ship mentioned as the Botany was more likely the NS Batory, which had been used to ferry troops and equipment to Narvik.

    Very interesting.    I was sent out on the Batory in December 1963 selling shore excursions on board for Thomas Cooks London.    She cruised during the winter months and we called at Cadiz, Majorca, Tunis, Cagliari, Algiers and Gibraltar.  Many of the passengers were Scandinavians.

[Chris Rooney]

i have some new names, in the process of reading Peter Kemps book "no Colours or Crest
quote page 19
Lt Col Brian Mayfield Scots Guards, who was to command the expedition, was a regular soldier, who had left the army before the war to go into business. An experienced Skier, he had recently been second in command to Col Jimmy Coats in the 5th Scots guards- a composite ski battalion raised by the war office at the end of 1939, consisting almost entirely of officers from various units of the British Army; intended for operations in Finland it was disbanded early in 1940.
there is mention of Bill Stirling saving he could not ski so he was obviously never in the 5th battalion

[Chris Rooney]

jim gavin is also mentioned further down the page
it also mentions Ralph Farrant, a regular officer in a line regiment and David Stacey
apart from Stirling
--the others all had been in the 5th Scots Guards

[Drew5233]

These are the two 5 Scots Guards war diaries at Kew:

WO 166/4110 5 Scots Guards 1940 Feb-Mar
WO 166/4111 5 Scots Guards 1939 Sept-Oct

And these are the 2 Scots Guards diaries up to 1943

WO 169/342 2 Scots Guards 1939 Aug.-1940 Dec
WO 169/1700 2 Scots Guards 1941 Jan.-Dec
WO 169/4983 2 Scots Guards 1942 Jan.-Dec
WO 169/10170 2 Scots Guards 1943 Jan.-Dec

If anyone would like copies of any of the above diaries drop me a message.

Cheers
Andy

[cartridge_uk]

I am looking for information about the 2nd battalion Scots guards as well. I raised another topic and I have put some of the information I have already there.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=760703.new;topicseen#new